car turns off while driving... electrical

[Damien]

I have a 99 Contour SE with the 2.5 and MTX. This problem has plagued me (only during the winter months oddly enough) Since I have owned the car. I will be driving along then the speedo and the tach go all crazy, the car bucks a little and shuts off. All electrical items work when this happens... just the car shuts off. Then when I stop and try to restart it, I get nothing. No click when i turn the key... absolutely nothing (although all of my accessories work like normal, doors lock themselves, radio turns on) Through trial and error (and a lot of wire wiggling) I have ruled out the two wires that go to the starter. I traced them from the starter to the connection on the distribution box and there is no frayed cable housing or anything like that. I have however found what I believe to be the culprits:

These are the 2 wires (one slightly thicker one, black with a yellow stripe, and one skinny one black with an orange stripe

here is where they exit the distribution box... right next to the starter wires... Then some jack nut twisted them together and connected them to a pice of 10 gauge wire and they lead to the negative battery terminal.

i used to wiggle the bejesus out of the starter wires and it would usually start, but i now think that this was because I was inadvertently wiggling these two basties. Could this whole problem be a crappy ground? Does anyone know what these wires are for?

 

[my_black99svt]

I had a similar issue once on a probe that I found to be a loose ground wire.

If the accessories still work but the engine doesn't then look for the engine ground wire.

 

[Damien]

Fixed!

it was these two stupid wires... They both came to a crimped on hoop conector, then the wire between that and the battery was just wrapped around the hoop... terrible. I just bolted the hoop to the point where there is another wire grounded directly behind the distribution box. it works perfectly and now my lights aren't all glitchy in the instrument panel too... 2 birds with one stone. Looks like I win again.

 

[FavoriteMystaque]

Congratulations on the repair.

 

[Damien]

thank you! I have been driving it all day, and no hint of the problem. I am hoping it is a done deal.